Book Teaser: Why (And Why Not) to Write a Book
Marie Hasty RN, BSN
I help medical leaders tell their stories | Manuscript ghostwriting | Content marketing | Book strategy
Happy September, dear reader! This month I'm doing something a little different and pulling back the curtain on my own manuscript. Check out an excerpt from Chapter 1 below.
Why Not to Write a Book
“I’d like to work with you to write a NYT Bestseller, when can we talk?”
I get a version of this DM several times a year. To put this request into perspective, around 3 million books are published a year, and the NYT list has about 6,000 slots. That makes your odds of hitting it around .002% — not zero, but pretty close.?You’d need to sell between 3,000-5,000 copies in one week to get close to the NYT list. The NYT Book Review also factors in subjective opinions on editorial style and writing, so much of the list is also based on taste and content.
A certain alchemy goes into selling that many books that quickly; a combination of marketing, visibility, timing, and competition. Hitting a bestseller list is an achievement worth celebrating, but if this is your primary reason for writing a first book, I encourage you to think deeper about what this project could mean for your business while reading this chapter. The authors I see having the most success have strategic goals for their manuscripts — getting on a bestseller list is a great ancillary achievement, but it’s not the North Star.?
Folks are sometimes surprised to learn that revenue from book sales isn’t a top goal either. Adult nonfiction carries the highest market share of any genre, with 2022 sales close to $6.4 billion. But the majority of authors who generate real income from their nonfiction books are either publishing in a series or their name helps them sell to a wide audience. The average self-published author sells 250 copies and makes about $1,000 per year off of them. Not nearly enough to quit your day job (or your night shift, for that matter).?
A well-leveraged book can generate royalties and sales income, but this is not typical of first-time authors. And for many of the goals listed below, pricing your book for the sake of income would be a short-sighted move that could even prevent you from seeing major wins in your business. So let’s talk about the real reasons to write a book, and how you can use this project to leverage new achievements.
Why to Write a Book
My clients’ book goals are typically softer than royalties or rankings, yet more impactful for their lives and their readers. We write books that generate more than 15 minutes of fame, and create lasting influence on medicine and patients.?
One of my first tasks as a ghostwriter is to drill down on what my clients want to have happen after we publish. Sometimes authors come to me with clear ideas for their book goals, but if they don’t, it’s my job to nail them down. Even if you’re coming at this project purely as a means of creative expression and not a marketing endeavor, I encourage you to pick out one or two outcomes you want from your book.?
A well-strategized book can do one or more of these things for your career:?
At the same time, authors I work with usually have some parallel goals that we bake into a book project. These might not be the core motivation for publishing, but a book can help with these objectives as well:?
1. Promoting a Message or Sharing a Story
Gabor Maté is the author of several books that promote new ideas on ADD, trauma, addiction, and childhood. In The Myth of Normal, Maté presents a radical theory — that the root of many physical illnesses lies in trauma, stress, and societal systems. This controversial stance isn’t accepted or supported by every other expert, and it refutes many of the leading trauma books like The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk and Waking The Tiger by Peter A. Levine.?
But even though his premise is “out there”, the full-length book (which comes to nearly 600 pages) helps Maté to support his ideas using case studies, personal anecdotes, and research. The Myth is structured in building-block sections culminating in a strong, detailed, and nuanced argument that no social media post or podcast could achieve. The depth and breadth of supporting information help substantiate his claims and provide a comprehensive view to persuade skeptical readers of his beliefs.?
Maté is already a well-known author, but could a book still be effective for spreading a message if your name isn’t already on shelves? Theresa Brown’s The Shift provides an intimate glimpse of her experience caring for four patients during a 12-hour nursing shift. The average reader has likely never been exposed to the realities of clinical medicine, and this book highlights the emotional and physical challenges that nurses face daily. Brown delves into the complexities of patient care, the critical decisions nurses make, and the profound impact they have on their patients' lives, all while showcasing the dedication and resilience required in the nursing profession.
Books aren’t the only way to spread a powerful message or story, but they’re the best way to organize your ideas so that they’re all in one place. What if Brown or Maté had taken to social media instead of putting the time into full-length books? What if they had published through a series of newsletters or columns? Inevitably, readers would miss out. Followers come and go, and few people scrolling through a feed are interested in reading a full-length article. We wouldn’t get a thoroughly fleshed-out argument for either idea, and these arguments would lose their power.?
A book is the most solid message-building platform for your radical, innovative ideas. Of-the-moment pieces of content like social posts, news columns, and blogs, are great for spreading a message, but can’t be used as reference pieces in their field. A well-crafted book can continue to influence readers and spark discussions years and even decades after its publication. Your book could be referenced by other researchers, become a topic of study, and contribute to discourse. The Myth of Normal and The Shift have been assigned reading in college-level courses and continuing education programs across the nation and world. No other messaging asset has that kind of staying power for spreading ideas.?
Why do banned books exist? Because books can plant and spread ideas like no other media. Books influence policy and the public, and can even create real change in readers. If you have an idea or story you want to share, getting published helps spread your message to readers, but it can also help you leverage other opportunities, such as:
2. Building Credibility and Authority
If you feel like no one knows your name, and you want that to change, it’s time to get started on your first book. You could be like Brené Brown, who was a social work professor in 2004 when she wrote her first manuscript. She couldn’t find an agent or a traditional publisher, so she borrowed money to self-publish. A few years later, Penguin bought her book, and in 2010 she gave her first TEDx talk and published again. Two years later, she published her third book, and in 2015, her fourth came out. These days, she runs a successful podcast, has a Netflix documentary and an HBO series, and has written and collaborated on eight successful books. Her authority initially came from her academic and research background, but today her many published works make her a well-known and trusted leader in the self-help industry.???
Atul Gawande, now a well-known surgeon and USAID public health leader, published Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science in 2002. The collection of previously published essays sheds light on the unique experience of being a surgeon in modern medicine: the high stakes, the unknowns, and the limits of science. Complications was a National Book Award Finalist and put Gawande’s medical leadership and writing on the map. He’s published several other books since then, and has been asked to speak and consult on the world stage.?
When done effectively, a well-researched and thoughtfully written book can cement your reputation and open doors to countless opportunities. The authors above wouldn’t have been asked to do TED talks, speak at huge seminars, or lead organizations before they were published. They might have been qualified to do those things, but their books helped manifest their expertise and insights. Getting published helped people see them as the experts they are — and made them the go-to person to speak and represent the issues they write about.??
More than any article you’ve written or blog post on your website, a book is a physical representation of your expertise. It’s the best business card there is. Publishing your insights, experiences, and unique perspectives helps you position yourself as an authority in your field, someone who others look to for insights and information.?
Not only that, but the publishing and writing process is a gold mine for building a reputation through elements like:
3. Boosting Visibility
Publishing a book doesn’t just deepen your authority for people who know you, but helps you reach new audiences that you can help. Rangan Chatterjee is a UK General Practitioner and health coach, who published The 4 Pillar Plan in 2017. That same year he made the Pulse list of the top most influential GPs in the country, and the success of his book led to media appearances, including TV shows and podcasts, where he shared his holistic approach to health. Dr. Chatterjee's ability to connect with a broad audience through his writing has significantly expanded his reach and established him as a trusted voice in preventive medicine.
Publishing a book can help you become a visible leader in your niche much faster than any social media strategy or newsletter. While I encourage authors to use both of these marketing tools, social platforms and inboxes are flooded with health influencers and gurus. Publishing (and good book marketing) puts you ahead of the pack, making you top-of-mind for media opportunities. Journalists, podcast hosts, and industry influencers seek out authors as subject matter experts to speak on their platforms. This cross-audience exposure expands your reach and reinforces your authority in the eyes of your audience. Plus, repurposing book content is a great way to show up with less effort on more platforms: once you have ~50,000 high-quality words, it’s easy to tweak your book into dozens of social media posts, newsletters, and webinars.??
Publishing can help you reach more people as readers, and many of the people you reach won’t even need to read your book to learn about you. Authors can also use their book project to boost visibility with non-readers, through avenues like:
4. Educating and Empowering Readers
Barbara Karnes was an experienced hospice nurse and end-of-life educator when she published her book, Gone From My Sight: They Dying Experience in 2008. Today it remains an essential resource as families navigate a time that can be confusing, sad, and overwhelming. Karnes demistified the dying process, helping readers feel less afraid and giving them the knowledge to navigate hospice. Since publishing Gone From My Sight, Karnes has released over a dozen other books and video resources for families and clinicians, and she became an International Humanitarian Woman of the Year in 2015.?
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Karnes’ books help readers understand and deal with death while also codifying her expertise. Readers can go from reading her books, to following her excellent blog, to enrolling in her courses. She’s also a great example of serial publishing to offer more detailed information within her niche — she has books on dementia at the end of life, caring for a loved one at home, caring for pets, and self-care for clinicians. Her work is a great example of why you don’t need to cover everything in a single book: readers find more value from an in-depth exploration of one specific area, rather reading a than a generalized manual.??
Clinicians often had altruistic reasons for entering medicine and patient care, and publishing a book is one of the best ways to help a much larger group of people without over-extending yourself. Imagine if Karnes hadn’t published, and had relied only on her live educational offers. She wouldn’t have been able to help nearly as many families, clinicians, and patients that need her expertise.?
Readers can find answers to their questions within your book that help them transform themselves and their lives. And a book can also help funnel readers into deeper instructional offers if they’re necessary, by promoting your other educational work:
5. Laying a Foundation For a Speaking Career
Laura Markham is a clinical psychologist who runs parenting coaching workshops and courses. She’s written several books, but her first, Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting, is a supportive and practical guide. More than a decade after it was published, this book still draws readers to Markham’s gentle and loving approach to parenting. Her books have helped her educate millions of parents, who can also sign up for her courses and memberships for deeper support.?
The success of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids established Markham as a parenting expert and catapulted her into the world of speaking engagements. Leveraging her book's popularity, she built a thriving speaking and coaching career, reaching even more parents and professionals. This expanded her influence and solidified her reputation as a trusted voice in parenting education, making her a go-to speaker for schools, conferences, and parent education groups.
Donna Cardillo is another impressive clinician speaker, whose first book Your First Year as a Nurse, is a practical and supportive guide for new grad RNs. She’s since published other titles focused on supporting nurses, including a career guide, a daybook, and a self-help title. Her books have helped establish her as a thoughtful, funny, and insightful person who can motivate a room of people. She’s even earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation, the most prestigious international award for speakers.?
If you’d like to book more speaking engagements, writing a book is a great step in that direction. Many opportunities for speakers even require a published book, because it shows that someone is an articulate expert in their area. A professional book also offers a window-view into your personality and opinions, which many event organizers want to see before they hire you. When you market your book well, guest speaking on podcasts and other channels can help you get in front of more viewers.?
Publishing a book can help you book speaking engagements directly, and can also enhance your speaking career by:
6. Promoting and Service or Business
I have a book on my desk that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. It’s about running and marketing medical practices, and the advice it gives is dated, shallow, and sometimes even predatory. One of the author’s back-cover photos literally looks like the Joker. The final quarter of the book is promotional material meant to lead readers to the author’s seminars, and its layout reminds me of a page you end up on after falling for a phishing scam.?
This is the type of book some clinicians picture when they think of a book that’s meant to promote a business. It’s salesy, it’s slimy, and it leaves the reader feeling like they’ve been duped just by reading it. The fear of coming across this way keeps many would-be authors from writing a book that helps their business. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to put together a book that promotes your business, and this is just the wrong way to do it. When it’s done right, readers are left with the impression that they’ve learned something from your book, and you have more value to offer.?
Take Age Later for example, a book by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Marc A. Ronert. This guide is structured like a textbook with helpful charts, graphs, and illustrations, yet it’s approachable and conversational. Throughout the book, Ronert includes practical information to help readers understand aging on a cellular level so they can make better choices for their physical health. He peppers in recommendations for products in his IMAGE Skincare line, alongside dietary and habit changes. Because 99% of the book is informative and insightful, these plugs don’t feel salesy; they feel like a continuation of the value Ronert is already offering. Readers are left with actionable health advice that they can act on, and Ronert’s brand and products are more trustworthy as a result.?
A great book can directly promote services and products you offer by generating reader leads. When readers engage with your content and find value in your expertise, they are more likely to seek out additional services and products that you provide. Having a book in your business portfolio can also help with grow in ancillary ways, like:
Ancillary Goals
1. Creating Partnerships
One of the most fun elements of the writing process for me is introducing expert interviews into a project. Guest chapters or interviews are a great way to build connections with other industry leaders while adding additional perspective to your book. Other experts are typically happy to have their name in a published book with little effort on their part, and you get to build lasting and genuine relationships.
2. Boosting business value
Book marketing can elevate your brand in all of the above ways, and potentially increase the value of your business if you’re planning to sell in the future. Media attention related to your book is great for brand recognition and value. Attaching a book to your brand provides an evergreen content asset that can continue offering value for years to come, regardless of who owns the brand.?
3. Creating an Evergreen Business Resource?
A book captures your expertise, methodologies, and insights in a structured format that’s easy to revisit. If there are questions you tend to get asked repeatedly in your business, putting them in book format is a great way to educate clients or employees. Teammate training manuals and educational books are a great first impression for new staff members, and provide tangible reference material for years to come.?
4. Diversifying Income Streams
While I don’t like to advise authors to write a book for the sake of sales, a well-marketed book can earn you money in sales of e-books, physical books, and audiobooks. Self-published authors can reasonably earn $500 to $1,000 per month from book sales, and this number can be much higher. Traditional publishing deals sometimes come with advance payments and royalties, although these deals are often not as cushy as people think. With strategic marketing and platforms like Amazon, your book can become a steady source of direct income, contributing to your financial stability and business growth.
5. Leaving a Legacy
How amazing would it feel to open up a beautiful book by your great-grandfather? Books are a tangible legacy that capture your unique voice, tone, and experiences. The best books leave marks on readers long after they close the last page. You can solidify your place in an industry with a book that can shape discourse for years and even decades.?
Why Articulating Your Goals Matters
What you likely notice about the list above is that these goals overlap: marketing your book for more reach will naturally put you in front of speaking opportunities, which will help you get your offers to more consumers. I hope that while reading this list, a few goals jumped out at you.
Maybe you hope to finally book that TEDtalk, or spread a message you believe in passionately. Do you imagine your book helping you grow your solopreneur business to an agency model so you can step away from it more often? Maybe you just want a stream of qualified inbound leads you can depend on, or you want to funnel readers into higher-ticket offers. For many authors, the cost of their book is made up just by booking one consulting contract.?
This is what I love about book publishing for clinician entrepreneurs: just one book can help you accomplish so many goals, without the constant maintenance of cold prospecting, media enquiries, and posting on social media. Having a well-written, marketed, and professionally-produced book can get you into so many rooms.???
Whatever your goals are, I encourage you to get really clear about where you want a book to take you in your career and your personal life. Some authors get an idea they love, then launch right in without knowing where they want to go. This can result in a book that is difficult to market because it feels disjointed from your core business. Often these authors get discouraged partway through and either have to start over or abandon their book altogether. I don’t want these things to happen to you!
Getting clear on your goals will help you plan more strategically. If you want to build a profile as an event speaker, you’ll want to incorporate more dramatic storytelling and thought leadership than if you’re writing a guide for patients. If you’re planning to build out an online community, you’ll probably want to include that offer in your Call to Action.?
Having a vision also helps you stay motivated during the long book-writing process. The beginning stages of drafting are often the most exciting — the words just flow, you’re full of enthusiasm, and you feel inspired. But it’s inevitable for those things to wane at some point (and often several points) in the process. When that happens, and those “why am I even doing this?” thoughts start to creep in, having one or two solid goals can help you stick to the plan.??
Your turn: if you've been thinking about writing a book, what would you like to come from it? If you've published in the past, what were your goals?
Business Book Ghostwriter | Author | Nonfiction Book Strategist
2 个月Three cheers for repurposing content!
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2 个月Captivating multi-tasking journey. Exploring heartfelt experiences through literary lenses. Marie Hasty RN, BSN
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Occupational Therapist
2 个月Great chapter! I’ve written two books so far and this chapter has so many good points. Helped me to clarify “why” I’m writing books, beyond my basic goal of just starting and finishing one. ??